Improved machine for cutting cork stoppers for bottles and other vessels



` ton, inthe county of Suffolk and State of Mas` State, have invented a new and Improved Ma- `that ,the` following is a full, clear, andexact direction imparted to it by the reciprocating This mandrel is allowed. to work longitudi- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN POVER, OF BOSTON, AND ANDREV J. BAILEY, OF CHARLESTOWN,

ASSIGNORS TO PETER HOLMl-ES, OF

CHARLESTOVN, MASSACHUSETTS;

IMPROVED MACHINE FOR VCUTTING` CORK STOPPERS FORBOTTLES AND OTHER VESSELS i Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 35,351, dated `May 20, 1862.Y

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN POWER, of Bossachusetts, and ANDREW J.BAILEY,of Charles,- town, in the county of Middlesex, in the same chine for Cutting CorkfStoppers f'orBottles and otherlVessels; and we do hereby declare description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making a part of this specilication, in which- Figure l is a side view of our invention; Fig. 2, a plan or` top view of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section of the same, taken in the line on fr, Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a section of a portion of the same, taken in the line y y, Fig. 2. l

Similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in the several figures.

The object of this invention is to obtain a machine by which cork stoppers for bottles and other vessels may be cut with a single knife at one operation.

To this end the invention consists in the employment or use of a reciprocating knife in connection with a rotary mandrel arranged in such a manner that the mandrel will have a continuons rotary motion in one and the same movement of the knife, and the latter during its movement be automatically adj usted, so as to rough off the cork during itsmovement in one direction and give theiinishing cut during the other movementin the opposite direction. l

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct our invention, we will proceed to 4describe it. l

A represents a bed or platform, on whicha head, B, is placed, containing a mandrel, C.

nally'i-n its head B, and it has a spiral spring, I), upon it, which has a tendency to keep the cork E to be cut between a spur-head, a, at the inner end of the mandrel, and a spur-head, b, which is allowed to rotate freely in an upright, c, of headuB, the spurhead a connecting the cork E with the mandrel C and causing it to rotate with it. l

On the mandrel C there are placed two loose pulleys, F F', side `by side, each pulley being provided with a pawl, d,u which catch into ratchets G Gf, permanently secured on the mandrel. (See Figs. l, 2, and 4.)

H H are two parallel inclined ways,fwhich are placed on the bed or platform A parallel with the mandrel C. Between these ways H H there is .placed a slide, l, in which there are two shafts, J J, parallel with each other and at right angles with the upper surfaces of the ways HH, as shown clearly inl Fig. 3. The

shafts J J proj ect up through the slide I `and fit -ina cap, K, which is placed on thetop ot' the slide I, and to whicha knife, L, is secured by a clamp, M. Theknife L projects out from the slide I, so that its cutting-edge will be .directly over the center of the mandrel C. The cap K, and consequently the knife L, has an inclined position corresponding with that of the ways H H.

Eachshaft J has a spiral groove, e, made in it, and on each shaft a loose pinion, N, is placed. These pinions are connected with the shafts J J by pins f, which project from the inner surfaces of the hubs of the pinions and fit in spiral grooves e e of the shafts J J, as shown in Fig. 3. The pinions N N both gear into a sliding rack, C, which is tted in guides attached` to the slide I, said rack having a pin, g, projecting at right angles fronrits lower end, as shown in Fig. 2 To one of the ways H there are attached two upright pins, h h',

Pis a cord or chain, the ends of which arev attached to the slide l. This cord passes around a pulley, fi, at the lower end of one of the ways H, and also around the loose pulleys F F on the mandrel C and around a pulley, j, attached to the bed or platform A, as shown in Fig. l.

The operation is as follows: The cork E, previously cut of the proper size, is adjusted between the spur-head a of the mandrel C and the spur-head b of the upright c, and the operator shoves the slide I forward in the direction of arrow l, and by this movement "of the slide the cork E is rotated through the medium of the cord or chain P and the pulley F, the cord or chain and the pulleys F F moving in the direction indicated by the black arthe latter movement.

rows. During this movement the knife L roughs off the cork, and when the slide I nearly reaches the termination of this forward movement the pin g at the lower or front end of the rack O strikes the upright pin 7L on the way H and causes said rack O to be moved, so that the pinions N N will be rotated and the shafts J J and cap K lowered and the knife L consequently depressed. This lowering 'of the shafts J J is eifected in consequence of the pins ff fitting in the spiral grooves e c. The operator now draws the slide Ibackward or toward him and the knife L finishes the cork, the knife taking off a fine shaving. The red arrows in Fig. 2 indicate this movement of the cutter L, cord or chain P, and pulleys F F the pulley F turnin the mandrel C during When the slide I nearly reaches the termination of its backward movement, the pin g of rack O strikes the pin 7L of ihe way H, and the rack O is moved and the pinions N N turned so as to raise the shafts J J and cap K and elevate the knife L for a. succeeding roughing-off cnt. The inclination of the ways H H give the taper form to the cork, and the taper may be varied as desired by regulating the position or inclination of said ways, and eorks of cylindrical form may be cut by adjusting the ways 'in a horizontal position. Instead of this arrangement, however, the ways H H may have a permanent horizontal position and the mandrel C be inclined, in order to give the taper form to the corks. Thus it will be seen that the two different cuts may be given the corks-to wit, the roughing-oif and the finishing cut-with one and the same knife and at one operation, the cork having a continuous rotary motion in one direction imparted to it bythe .reciprocating movement of the knife.

The machine as a whole is extremely simple and efficient and maybe operated with the greatest facility.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

' l. The combination of the reciprocating cutter L and rotating mandrel C when arranged, substantially as shown, so that the latter will have a continuous rotary motion imparted to it in one and the same direction by the reciprocating movement of the cutter, for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The cap K of slide l, with theknife Land spirally-grooif'ed shafts J J attached, in combination with the sliding rack O, pinions N N, and pins 71. 7L', arranged, substantially as shown, for elevating' and depressing the knife L, for the purpose specified.

JOHN PO\VER. ANDREIV J. BAILEY. Witnesses:

STEPHEN C. HOLMES, FRED E. HOLMES. 

